Supporting rack with adjustable torsion

ABSTRACT

A supporting rack for supporting an electronic device includes a main body, a rotating arm, a fastening member and a position portion. The main body includes a connecting portion and a plurality of holding members. The connecting portion is connected with the electronic device, the holding members are disposed on the connecting portion, and each of which includes a first surface and a second surface opposite thereto. A gap is formed between adjacent holding members. The rotating arm, held by the holding members, tightly contacts the first surface. The fastening member connects with the holding members between a first position and a second position. The position portion is disposed on the holding member. When the fastening member is connected with the holding members at the first position, an interference, formed between the fastening members and the second surface, is increased as the fastening member is moved toward the second position.

This Application claims priority of Taiwan Patent Application No. 098219786, filed on Oct. 27, 2009, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a supporting rack, and in particular, to a supporting rack with adjustable torsion.

2. Description of the Related Art

Referring to FIG. 1, a schematic view of a conventional supporting rack is shown. A supporting rack 10 comprises a main body 11, a rotating arm 12 and a fastening member 13. The main body 11 comprises a connecting portion 111, a plurality of holding members 112 and a screwing portion 113. The connecting portion 111 is used to connect to an external electronic device. The holding members 112 are disposed on the connecting portion 111. The screwing portion 113, disposed on the outer periphery of the holding members 112, comprises a thread. The rotating arm 12 comprises a rotating bar 121 and a spherical body 122. The spherical body 122, connected with the rotating bar 121, is disposed in the holding members 112. By tightly clamped by the holding members 112, a torsion is generated therebetween when the spherical body 122 is rotated. The inner surface of the fastening member 13 has a thread corresponding to the thread on the screwing portion 113, thus allow the fastening member 13 to be connected (screwed) with the screwing portion 113 in a rotating manner, which helps to maintain the spherical body 122 stably within the holding members 112.

A pressing portion C is formed at a contacting interface between the top portion of the fastening member 13 and the holding members 112. During the screwing fastening member 13 with the screwing portion 113, the fastening member 13 applies a force to the holding members 112 via the pressing portion C causing upper portions of the holding members 112 to be pressed toward the center (i.e. toward the spherical body 122), thus increase the torsion between the holding members 112 and spherical body 122.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A supporting rack with adjustable torsion is provided for supporting an electronic device including a main body, a rotating arm, a fastening member and a position portion. The main body includes a connecting portion and a plurality of holding members. The connecting portion is connected with the electronic device, the holding members are disposed on the connecting portion, and each of the holding members includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. A gap is formed between adjacent holding members. The rotating arm, held by the holding members, tightly contacts the first surface. The fastening member is connected with the holding members between a first position and a second position. The position portion is disposed on the holding member. When the fastening member is connected with the holding members at the first position, an interference is formed between the fastening members and the second surface. The interference is increased as the fastening member is moved toward the second position.

A detailed description is given in the following embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of conventional supporting rack;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a supporting rack of the invention;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the supporting rack of the invention;

FIG. 4A is a sectional view of the supporting rack of the invention showing a fastening member at a first position;

FIG. 4B is a sectional view of the supporting rack of the invention showing the fastening member at a second position;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a main body and a position portion of the supporting rack of the invention; and

FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing the fastening member of the supporting rack of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As shown in FIG. 2, the supporting rack 1 of the invention is utilized to support an electronic device, such as a global positioning system (GPS) device or a mobile device. Usually, the supporting rack 1 is assembled in a transportation, and the GPS device is mounted on the supporting tack 1 to display information for the driver.

Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, a schematic view and an exploded view of the supporting rack 1 of the invention are respectively shown. The supporting rack 1 comprises a main body 100, a rotating arm 200 and a fastening member 300. The main body comprises a connecting portion 101 used to connect with the electronic device and a holding portion 102. The holding portion 102 has a plurality of holding member 1021, respectively disposed on the connecting portion 101. Additionally, each of holding members 1021 has a first surface S1 (as shown in FIG. 3) and a second surface S2 opposite to the first surface S1.

The rotating arm 200 comprises a rotating bar 201 and a spherical body 202. The spherical body 202, connected with the rotating bar 201, is disposed and clamped between the holding members 1021 of the holding portion 102, such that an outer surface 202S of the spherical body 202 tightly contacts the first surfaces S1 of each holding members 1021. With rotation of the spherical body 202 in the holding portion 102, the rotating arm 200 is moved relative to the connecting portion 101 accordingly, thus the electronic device could be adjusted to a desired position relative to the user's position.

It should be noted that a gap G is formed between every two adjacent holding members 1021. With aid of the elastic characteristics of the materials used, required elasticity of the holding portion 201 could be obtained and interference between the holding members 1021 and the outer surface 202S of the spherical body 202 could be changed by adjusting the width of the gap G to control the holding strength (or the torsion) of the holding portion 201.

Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B, schematic views of the fastening members in a first position and a second position are shown. The fastening member 300 has an inner surface 300S comprising a thread, and the second surface S2 of the holding portion 102 comprises a thread corresponding to the inner surface 300S. Thus, the fastening member 300 could be screwed to the holding portion 102 between the first position P1 (as shown in FIG. 4A) and the second position P2 (as shown in FIG. 4B). When the fastening member 300 screws to the holding portion 102 at the first position, the fastening member 300 applies a force to the holding portion 102 via the second surface S2 to press the holding portion 102 toward the center of the spherical body 202. As a result, an interference CS is generated between the first surface S1 of the holding members 1021 and the spherical body 202. As the fastening member 300 is screwed toward the second position P2, the interference CS is increased accordingly.

In the embodiment, the fastening member 300 is directly screwed to the holding portion 102, which allows the force applied to the second surface S2 of the holding portion 102 by the fastening member 300 is gradually increased. That is, the user may adjust the interference CS between the first surface S1 and the spherical body 202 for a desired torsion therebetween. Moreover, the holding strength (or the torsion) of the fastening member 300 may be evenly distributed to the holding portion 102.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing the main body and a position portion of the supporting rack of the invention, and FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing the fastening member of the supporting rack of the invention. The supporting rack 1 further comprises a position portion 400 constituted by a plurality of position protrusions 401. The position protrusions 401 are arranged in series on one of the holding members 1021 (as shown in FIG. 5). The fastening member 300 has a notch 301 (as shown in FIG. 6). Due to the flexible material of the position protrusions 401, the position protrusions 401 are able to move between the thread when the fastening member 300 is screwed to the holding portion 102. Once the position protrusions 401 reach the notch 301, the position protrusions 401 are tightly fit in the notch 301 to be engaged (as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B), which allows the fastening member 300 to be fixed at a specific position. Besides, once the fastening member 300 is rotated 360 degree relative to the main body 100 to be fixed from a specific position to another specific position, the interference CS is accordingly changed to provide different degrees of torsion, thereby providing a supporting rack with multi-stage adjustable torsion.

Additionally, the position protrusions 401 can also be disposed on the multiple holding members 1021, respectively. It is not limited to arrange all the position protrusions 401 on a single holding member 1021, and it is not limited to have only one notch 301. The disposition of the position protrusions 401 and the notch 301 allows the fastening member 300 to be fixed with multiple stages according to needs. For such reason, the number of the position protrusions 401 and the notch 301 is not specific.

The supporting rack 1 of the invention utilizes the direct screwing between the fastening member 300 and the holding portion 102 to adjust the torsion of the rotating arm 200. In addition, with arrangement of the position portion 400 and the notch 301, the fastening member 300 is able to be fixed at a specific position, where also provide a fixed corresponding torsion of the rotating arm 200.

While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements. 

1. A supporting rack with adjustable torsion for supporting an electronic device, comprising: a main body comprising a connecting portion and a plurality of holding members, wherein the connecting portion is connected with the electronic device, the holding members are disposed on the connecting portion, each of the holding members comprises a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and a gap is formed between adjacent holding members; a rotating arm held by the holding members and tightly contacting the first surface; a fastening member connected with the holding members between a first position and a second position; and a position portion disposed on the holding members, wherein when the fastening member is connected with the holding members at the first position, an interference is formed between the fastening members and the second surface, and the interference is increased as the fastening member is moved toward the second position.
 2. The supporting rack as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fastening member has a notch engaging with the position portion.
 3. The supporting rack as claimed in claim 2, wherein the position portion comprises a plurality of position protrusions disposed on one of the holding members.
 4. The supporting rack as claimed in claim 3, wherein the position protrusions are made of flexible material.
 5. The supporting rack as claimed in claim 3, wherein the fastening member has a notch engaging with the position portion.
 6. The supporting rack as claimed in claim 5, wherein the position portion comprises a plurality of position protrusions engaging with the notch.
 7. The supporting rack as claimed in claim 6, wherein the position protrusions are made of flexible material.
 8. The supporting rack as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fastening members have an inner surface comprising a thread, the second surface of the holding member comprises a thread, and the fastening member is able to be screwed to the holding members.
 9. The supporting rack as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rotating arm comprises a rotating bar and a spherical body connected with the rotating bar and held in the holding members, and an outer surface of the spherical body contacts the first surface of the holding members. 